World News
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National lockdown in Malaysia as Covid-19 infections surge
Malaysia has gone into full national lockdown amid a surge in Covid-19 infections, including highly contagious variants that are putting the healthcare system under pressure. According to Thai PBS World, the Malaysian PM, Muhyiddin Yassin, has announced a ban on social gatherings and inter-state and inter-district travel. “Malaysia is facing a third wave of Covid-19 that could trigger a national…
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Glass bridge in China shatters, tourist hangs on 100 metres above the ground
A tourist walking on a glass bridge in China, looking down at the ground 100 metres below, quickly had to cling onto the bridge’s rails after high winds caused some of the panels of the glass-bottom bridge to shatter. Reports say the wind blew at up to 145 kilometres per hour, damaging the glass bridge and leaving the tourists stuck…
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‘Safe zone’ in Thailand for refugees fleeing Myanmar violence
Due to the ongoing violence between the Myanmar military and ethnic troops, the Thai military has set up a “safe zone” for thousands of refugees in Mae Hong Son near the Salween River, the natural border between Thailand and Myanmar. The prominent armed wing of the Karen National Union has openly supported the anti-coup movement in Myanmar, leading to clashes…
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Thailand donates cash, equipment to Laos to help combat Covid-19 outbreak
With Laos, just north of Thailand, under lockdown measures to control a spike of Covid-19 infections, the Royal Thai Embassy to Laos helping the country combat the outbreak and has donated cash and materials valued altogether at more than 16 million baht. While cases have remained low in Laos since the start of the pandemic last year with active cases…
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Vietnamese woman becomes first to die in Vietnam after receiving AstraZeneca’s vaccine shot
A Vietnamese woman is the first person to die in Vietnam after receiving the Covid-19 AstraZeneca shot. The Ministry of Public Health says the 35 year old developed anaphylactic shock after getting the first dose of the vaccine, passing away in Vietnam’s southern province of An Giang last Friday. “This is a very rare case in the vaccination against Covid-19.”…
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Third supsect arrested in bomb attack of Maldives ex-president
After a bomb attack in the Maldives attempting to assassinate former president Mohamed Nasheed, police have arrested a third suspect. The Manhunt has continued in the Maldivian capital city of Malé as the police appealed to the public for any information they may have about another suspect. Religious extremists have been blamed for the attempt on the former president’s life.…
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Testing increased in Singapore after unlinked Covid-19 cases
Singapore, where there has been over 61,000 Covid-19 infections and 31 deaths, is increasing testing to find sources for recent unlinked cases. Over the past few weeks, new cases of Covid-19 have been cropping up without any apparent connection to known Coronavirus infections. The Health Ministry of Singapore said yesterday that a junior college student and 3 staff members at…
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UPDATE: Chinese rocket debris plunges into Indian Ocean
UPDATE: 10.30am (Thai Time) Trackers have confirmed that the debris has splashed down somewhere west of The Maldives in the Indian Ocean. 9.30am (Thai Time) The Chinese Long March 5B carrier rocket should land in this area… 72.47°E longitude and 2.65°N latitude, just west of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. That’s according to China’s National Space Agency. “Most of…
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Like Songkran, Sri Lanka New Year’s brings Covid-19 wave
Sri Lanka has seen a huge wave of new Covid-19 infections in part due to large New Year’s celebrations in mid-April at the same time as Thailand’s Songkran Festival. From the beginning of April until now, the island nation has experienced a fivefold increase in daily cases, with 1,895 infections reported yesterday. February had previously been the worst month in…
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With Indian neighbours sealing borders, Maldives welcomes tourists
Tuesday saw a new Daily Record for Covid-19 cases in the 26 islands of the Maldives, with 601 new infections. The tiny nation’s Health Emergency Operations Centre reported this week that hospitalisations due to Covid-19 had tripled in a few days and they suspect that a new variant may now be present in the country. The capital city of Malé…
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Covid-19 reaches new heights in Nepal with Mt Everest infections
Nepal, India’s neighbour to the north, is facing a similar Covid-19 crisis with a 1200% increase in new infections, triggering hospital shortages. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the government had said that 44% of Covid-19 tests administered in Nepal had come back positive last weekend. The country is reporting about 20 new cases…
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Once Covid-19 free, Cambodia eases lockdown amidst surge
After remaining relatively unscathed during the global pandemic in 2020, Cambodia, like other countries in the region, is in the midst of a massive Covid-19 surge. As recently as late February, the country had only seen about 500 cases in their population of 16 million. But just two days ago, 650 new cases and 4 fatalities were recorded nationally. Cambodia…
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King and Queen of Thailand gift critical oxygen supplies to India
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand are sending a gift of desperately needed oxygen supplies for Covid-19 patients to India today. The Royal Thai Air Force will deliver the oxygen along with care packages of aid and relief items donated by the Indian Institute of Technology Alumni Association, the India-Thai Chamber of Commerce, and the Indian Association of…
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Southeast and South Asia struggling with rapid Covid-19 spread
With outbreaks in many countries throughout the region, and India in a Covid-19 crisis, the World Health Organisation and other health bodies are urging action in South and Southeast Asia. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have joined the call to action to aid the Earth’s most populous region, and the pandemic now ravaging it. The…
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WHO gives emergency authorisation to China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine
China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine has been given the green light by The World Health Organisation for emergency use. The director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the announcement yesterday in Geneva. The Chinese vaccine joins Pfizer/BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio, Janssen, Moderna, and Serum Institute of India in being authorised by the WHO for emergency use. “This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to…
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Laos prime minister orders an extension on lockdown measures
While the majority of countries across the globe have been grappling with Covid-19 outbreaks for the past year, Laos, just North of Thailand, has only reported 1,177 cases with the vast majority of the infections detected over the past month. Laos PM Phankhan Viphavanh says ordered an extension on lockdown measures, now until May 20, saying it is essential in…
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UN representative talks with Thai officials to help refugees fleeing Myanmar
With ongoing violence in Myanmar between the military junta and ethnic armies, a representative from the United Nations has held discussions with local authorities in Mae Hong Son, which borders Myanmar, to look into ways to help more than 2,000 Karen refugees who fled their homes to escape the violence. Following the military coup in February, ousting the state counsellor…
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Diplomatic spat between China and Australia, Chinese suspend economic dialogue
A diplomatic spat between China and Australia has the Communist State suspending all economic dialogue “indefinitely” between the 2 countries as of today. A statement by China’s National Development and Reform Commission detailed some of the reasoning behind the move, which is under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue. “Recently, some Australian Commonwealth Government officials launched a series of measures to…
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Vietnam extends quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days
Just the thought of 14 days in isolation has driven away many prospective tourists. Imagine 21 days in quarantine. If you want to travel to Vietnam, you’ll now have to go through the 3 week quarantine upon entering the country, Vietnam’s Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long announced yesterday. The country of 96 million people has kept cases low at…
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Anti-coup Burmese protesters take up military training in jungles of Myanmar
Members of Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement, including doctors and students, are taking up military training in the jungles, where they fled to escape a violent crackdown by the junta. Crawling on the ground towards their target of a small village isn’t just in preparation for a simulated clash-the training is to help protect them while they continue to resist the…
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Burmese rebel group claim to have downed military helicopter – VIDEO
Al Jazeera is reporting that a Burmese rebel group is claiming to have downed a military helicopter in Kachin province. The Kachin Independence Army says it shot down the aircraft in response to military air strikes in the province. Myanmar has been rocked by violence and political unrest since a February 1 military coup that deposed of the democratically-elected government…
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Bill and Melinda Gates to divorce after 27 years of marriage
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Bill Gates has announced that he and his wife of 27 years, Melinda, are to divorce. The world’s 4th wealthiest person posted a joint statement from the pair on his Twitter account yesterday, according to an NPR report. Bill Gates is reported to be worth more than US$130 billion dollars, having made his fortune with the Microsoft…
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Singapore now demands state 14 day quarantine for all travellers out of Thailand
Things were starting to ease up for travellers around SE Asia, and travel bubbles were being discussed at high levels. But with some localised surges in new Covid infections around the region the shutters are coming back down again. The Singapore Ministry of Health has announced that all travellers coming from Thailand, including Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long term…
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Global chip shortage: automakers to sex toys now feeling the pinch
A global chip shortage has affected almost every kind of business from automakers to sex toy makers. The shortage came about late last year when automakers thought demand would dwindle due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But, they were wrong. And, other manufacturers took note of the automakers’ large semiconductor orders and decided to ramp up their own. Home appliances, servers,…
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First case of Indian Covid-19 variant found in Malaysia
Malaysia’s Health Minister has confirmed that a case of the Indian variant of Covid-19 has been reported in the country. Adham Baba says the highly contagious B.1.617 variant was detected in an Indian national at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The news comes just days after Malaysia banned flights from India. According to a Bangkok Post report, the World Health Organisation…
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Burmese protests countrywide call for a “spring revolution”
Calls for a “spring revolution” erupted from thousands of protestors marching across Myanmar today to protest the Burmese military junta. The country has been in turmoil since the Feb 1 coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and installed military rule. Protests have raged for 4 months despite the Burmese military cracking down on demonstrations, often violently and bloodily,…
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US pushed to join call for patent-free Covid vaccines
The United States is being pushed to join a scheme to persuade all manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide to give up their intellectual property rights. This would make all Covid-19 medications, treatments and vaccines patent-free, allowing manufacturers around the world to produce them locally. India and South Africa proposed this plan at the World Trade Organization. As Covid-19 still spreads…
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UN Security Council issues watered-down Myanmar statement
The UN Security Council has issued 4 statements regarding the military coup in Myanmar and the resulting humanitarian crisis, including a new one yesterday. The statements call for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar, but the wording was reportedly heavily watered down in order to achieve approval from Russia and China. The UK drew up the original Security Council…
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Covid-19 and the coup may push half of Myanmar into poverty
With the devastating double whammy of a global pandemic and the military coup descending into civil war, the UN fears that nearly half the people of Myanmar could be living in poverty by next year. The United Nations Development Program predicted that up to 25 million Burmese people could suffer below the poverty line by the beginning of 2022. The…
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Brazil’s Covid death toll rivalling US
Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll is now rivalling the US as it became the second country to see over 400,000 deaths since the pandemic began. Experts are saying that number is expected to keep surging as the vaccine roll out has been slow to take off, as well as restrictions loosening in recent days. They also warn that loosening Covid measures…
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